Vehicle end construction



Dec. 8, 1936. w. M. SHEEHAN VEHICLE END CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 3, 1932rd y M f w z Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WilliamM. Sheehan, Merion, Pa., assignor to General Steel Castings Corporation,Granite City, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application October 3,1932, Serial No. 635,904

16 Claims. (01. 213-9) This invention relates to railway cars andparlink into position during the coupling operation. ticularly cars formine, quarry, or similar serv- These objects and others are attainedsubstanice, and consists in improvements in the contially by thestructure illustrated in the accomstruction of the underframe endmembers for panying drawing in which this type of vehicle. Figure 1 isin part a top view and in part a hor- 5 In certain types of cars, suchfor instance as izontal section on the line ll of Figure 2 and thoseused in mining operations, it is desirable illustrating the invention.

to obtain the maximum loading capacity with- Figure 2 is in part an endelevation and in part out increasing the external dimensions of the avertical transverse section taken on the line car, these dimensionsbeing restricted by the 22 of Figure 1. 10

height and width of the passage through which Figure 3 is a verticallongitudinal section taken the car passes, by the length of elevatorcages in on the line 33 of Figure 1, portions of an adwhich car must bemoved, and by the sharpness joining vehicle being shown in broken lines.

of curves in the track where the vehicle is oper- Figures 4 and 5 aresimilar views taken on the ated on rails. It has been suggested toincrease corresponding section lines of Figure 1. 5 the capacity of minecars by lowering the floor, The draft and buffing device illustrated inthe suitable pockets and depressions being provided figures embodiesmany of the features of the defor wheels and other under equipment. Minevice shown in my copending application Serial cars at present in usefrequently utilize draft and No. 602,925 and includes spacedtransversely disbuifing devices which extend a substantial disposeddraft and buffer members I and 2, respec- 2O tance along the center lineof the car and prevent tively, having opposed spring seats 3 and 4. Thelowering of this portion of the floor. draft member 5 is normally seatedagainst the My copending application, Serial No.. 602,925, Vertical wall5 of the end sill 6, to be described filed April 4, 1932, illustrates anovel draft and hereafter, and has a restricted outwardly probuffingdevice which is located substantially outjecting bifurcated portion 1extending within 25 side the end wall of the car. However, such adebuffer member 2 between the spring seats 4. The vice must be shapedand positioned in a manner buffer member has restricted intermediateporto be used with cars having the present type of tions 8 overlying thedraft member between the draft and buffing equipment. spring seats 3 andvertically spaced lugs 9 pro- One object of the present invention is toprojecting sidewardly from the transverse extremi- 30 vide a housingsuitable for mounting a draft and ties thereof adjacent spring seats 4.The draft buffing device generally similar to that illustrated andbuffer members are yieldingly held apart by in the above-mentionedcopending application. means of coiled springs 10 and the movementAnother object is to provide a housing that thereof longitudinally ofthe vehicle is limited will allow the draft and buffing device to extendby the wall 5 and anchoring bolts or pins H. 35 within the line of endlading limit of the car but Projecting outwardly from the buffer memberat the same time permit a substantial part of the is a restricted bufferplate part 12 having a front lading floor to be below the level of thedevice. opening I3 for receiving the draw bar i4 secured Another objectis to provide a car underframe between the projecting jaws I of thedraft memend sill having an intermediate hollow boxber by a draw bar pinl5 extending through alined 40 shaped part suitably reinforced foraccommodatelongated openings IS in the buffer beam and ing such adevice. through closely fitting openings in the draft beam.

Another object is to provide a housing for a Figure 3 shows adjacentvehicles each equipped draft and bufiing device arranged to receive withthe novel draft and buffing device. Howdraft forces at points spacedsubstantially transever, the flanges lZa on the buffer member are 45versely of the structure. disposed to cooperate with other types ofbuffers Another object is to provide means for decreasat present in use.The sides of member I2 are ing shear stress concentration upon the boltsp n asllificient distance TearWardly 0f flange w which anchor the bufferbeam to the end sill. to permit draw bar [4 to be swung sidewardly inStill another object is to provide a car end conopening l3 to clear thebuifer member on the ad- 50 struction in which the connecting draft linkcan jacent car during coupling and following contactbe swung clear asthe buffer faces are brought ing of buffers to be swung into couplingposition, together and then moved into its proper coupling thus avoidingthe hazardous necessity of guiding position, thus increasing the safetyfactor by the draw bar into place during the coupling opavoiding thenecessity of guiding the connecting eration. 55'

The draft and bufiing device is housed within a hollow box-shaped partof the end sill 6, which part includes the vertical inner wall 5 andside walls I! merging with the inner wall 5 in substantial curves i8.Extending along the top wall I9 of the housing is an upright rib 2B formounting the car end wall 2|, the rib 29 being located outwardly of wall5 between the same and the buffer flanges [2a. Pads or ribs 22 areprovided on the inner surfaces of the top web l9 and the bottom web 23for limiting the vertical play of the draft and bufiing device withinthe housing. The space 32 between the edges of the spring seats 3 and 4is preferably less than the sum of the normal distances between theindividual spring coils so that the springs cannot go solid and thisspace is also less than the space 33 between the outer ends of the draftbeam projections l and the flanges I211 50 that these latter-mentionedparts will not contact when the springs are compressed.

A portion of the flooring 24 of the car adjacent the end sill inclinesdagonally upward, as at 25, and merges with the top web it of the endsill adjacent its intersection with the vertical inner wall 5. Theconstruction shown is particularly adapted for fixed ends and rotarydumping, but where end dumping is desired, an end door can besubstituted for wall 2! and flange 29 and incline 25 would be made lessabrupt in order to allow easier discharge through the end door. Diagonalportion 25 and wall 5 are braced by flanged ribs 25 in substantialalinement with spring seats 3 and 4 on the draft and buffer beams andthese members cooperate to form a rigid angular reinforcement extendingalong the rear surface of the end sill. The outer wall 21 of the endsill has portions 28 extending diagonally outward and merging with eachside wall II. The bottom web of the sill extends downwardly at an angleadjacent portions 28 of the front wall to merge with the deepened bottomweb 23 of the housing.

Extending inwardly from the side walls I! be tween the lugs 9 of thebuffer beam are ribs or lugs 29 which are reinforced by ribs 30extending in alinement therewith from walls H to diagonal portions 28 0fthe end sill outer wall. Anchoring elements H are secured in the top andbottom walls of the housing and extend through elongated openings 3| inthe lugs S and through the interposed lugs 29. These interposed lugsserve to decrease the shear stress concentration upon the bolts, thesebeing subjected to quadruple shear instead of double as would be thecase if the intermediate lugs were eliminated. Draft forces aredistributed through the transversely spaced bolts i l to the end sill,these forces being carried by the flanged ribs 26 and by the'floor 24 ofthe car. Bufling forces are carried through the wall 5 and the flangedribs 26 to the vehicle floor.

I have illustrated the invention as applied to an integral mine carunderframe structure, but it will be understood that many of thefeatures thereof may be used advantageously with a builtup underframe.The novel end sill housing may be utilized for either a draft or abufiing device, or a device for transmitting all longitudinal forces, asshown.

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle end structure including a substantially box-like part forhousing a longitudinal force transmitting device, the top, bottom andsides of said part forming end sill elements, and a superstructure endwall member extending along the top wall of the structure and locatedoutwardly of the inner wall of said box-like part, the

portion of said top wall inwardly of said member forming a portion ofthe vehicle floor.

2. A dump car underframe end structure including flooring, and an endsill having a boxshaped part forming a housing for a longitudinal forcetransmitting device, said flooring being inclined upwardly adjacent saidsill and merging with the top wall thereof and cooperating with the rearwall of said box-shaped part to form an angular reinforcement along therear surface of said sill.

3. In combination, a vehicle underframe structure including an end sillhaving a box-shaped hollow part, flooring inclined upwardly adjacentsaid sill and merging with the top wall thereof adjacent the inner wallof said hollow part, and ribs extending between said inclined flooringand said inner wall, and a longitudinal force transmitting device insaid hollow part and including spring seats in alinement with said ribs,said inclined flooring, rear Wall and ribs forming a rigid reinforcementfor said end sill.

4. A vehicle end sill structure including a part for receiving a draftand bufling device, vertically spaced members in said part arranged toreceive an element for anchoring a draft and buifing device, and a lugprojecting from a wall of said part between said members and arranged toengage said element, said lug serving to decrease shear stressconcentration in said element.

5. A vehicle end sill structure including a boxshaped part for housing adraft and buffing device, transversely spaced pins extending between thetop and bottom walls of said part for anchoring said device, and lugsprojecting from said part between said walls and engaging said pins,said lugs serving to decrease shear stress concentration in said pins.

6. In combination, a vehicle end sill structure including a hollow part,and a longitudinal force transmitting device housed in said part andincluding a buffer beam having lugs projecting from the transverseextremities thereof and pins anchored in the top and bottom walls ofsaid part and extending through said lugs.

7. In combination, a vehicle end sill structure including a hollow part,a draft and buffing device housed in said part and including a bufferbeam having vertically spaced lugs projecting from each transverseextremity thereof, a lug projecting from said part between adjacentbuffer beam lugs, and anchoring pins extending through the top andbottom walls of said part and through said lugs, said lugs serving todivide shear stresses in said pins.

8. In combination, a vehicle end sill structure including a hollowbox-like part and a superstructure end wall member extending above thetop wall of the sill and located outwardlyof and above the rear wall ofsaid hollow part, a draft and bufiing device in said part and includinga transversely disposed buffer beam having a restricted bufiing platepart projecting outwardly of the sill, and a drawbar pin in saidprojecting part.

9. A vehicle end sill structure including an outwardly projectingbox-like intermediate part for housing a draft and buffing device,portions of the outer wall of said structure extending diagonallyoutwardly and merging with the side walls of said box-like part to formangular reinforcements for said part.

10. A vehicle end sill structure including an outwardly projectingbox-like intermediate part for housing a draft and bufling device,portions of the outer wall of said structure extending diagonallyoutwardly and merging with the side: walls of said box-like part to formangular reinforcements for said part, transversely spaced elements inthe top and bottom walls of said part near said side walls for mountingpins for anchoring said device, and lugs projecting from said side wallsbetween said elements and arranged to engage said anchoring pins todecrease shear stress concentration therein.

11. A vehicle end sill structure including a hollow box-likeintermediate part for housing a draft and buffing device, portions ofthe outer wall of said structure extending diagonally outwardly andmerging with the side walls of said box-like part, elements in the topand bottom walls of said part near said side walls for mounting pins foranchoring said device, and a rib extending from each of said diagonalportions through the adjacent side wall of said part and having aportion located between said elements for engaging said anchoring pinsto decrease shear stress concentration therein.

12. As a new article of manufacture, an integral cast metal structurecomprising a vehicle underframe end sill member including a hollowbox-like part forming a housing for a draft and buffing device, and afloor member sloping diagonally upwardly and merging with the uppersurface of said sill and the rear wall of said box-like part, saidflooring member and rear wall constituting a rigid reinforcement forsaid sill.

13. In a combined draft and buffing gear for a car, the combination witha housing open at its forward end; of a bufiing head telescoped withinthe housing, said head being longitudinally slotted to accommodate acoupling pin; stop means for limiting outward movement of the bufiinghead with respect to said housing; a yoke within the housing; meanswithin the yoke yieldingly opposing relative movement of the yoke andbustfing head; and a coupling pin extending through the yoke and heldagainst longitudinal movement with respect to the yoke, said pinextending also through the slots of said buffing head and being movablein said slots in a direction lengthwise of the car.

14. In a combined draft and buffing gear for a car, the combination witha supporting casing on the car; of a yoke extending into said casing,said yoke having top and bottom arms; a hollow buffing head telescopedwithin the casing and enclosing said arms, said head having meansthereon for guiding the yoke arms for sliding movement; cushioning meansyieldingly opposing relative movement of said bufiing head and yoke; andmeans connected to the yoke arms for coupling the car to another car.

15. In a combined draft and buffing gear for a car, the combination witha supporting member; of a movable buffing head slidable with respect tosaid supporting member; means for limiting outward movement of saidbuffing head and holding the same assembled with the supporting member;a yoke slidable with respect to the supporting member, said yoke havingtop and bottom arms guided within said buffing head; a coupling pinextending through the buffing head and arms of the yoke for limitingoutward movement of the yoke with respect to the buffing head; and meanswithin the yoke yieldingly opposing rela tive movement of the yoke andbuffing head.

16. A vehicle underframe structure including an end sill with itsmembers constructed and arranged to form a pocket for housing a. draftand buffing device, a lading carrying floor member inclined upwardlyfrom a point at the level of the bottom of said pocket and at the rearthereof to a point at the level of the top of said pocket and extendingover the same, and an element of said member for mounting asuperstructure end wall above said pocket, said element being locatedoutwardly of the inner end of said pocket.

WILLIAM M. SHEEHAN.

